


Fragile World

by smaragdbird



Category: Push (2009)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Movie(s), Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-23 01:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11392980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: Cassie can't fall sleep, too scared to miss a vision that might tell her how to move on with a plan that is both hers and not hers at all.Nick can't stay asleep, plagued by nightmares. He has always run from his problems right until a girl gave him a flower.





	Fragile World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Doranwen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doranwen/gifts).



When she was holding the umbrella in one hand and the suitcase with the serum in the other with Nick grinning while he was lying at her feet the way forward had seemed easy. She had finally been free of the gruesome visions of her own death, of Nick’s death and they had accomplished what she had come to Hong Kong for: get the suitcase, get the serum.

But of course it wasn’t that easy anymore. When had anything about this ever been easy? Cassie thought feeling the bitterness on her tongue. It wasn’t as if she could just march up to Division and demand they give her her mum back in exchange for the serum.

As Emily had pointed out, as soon as Division realised that she and Nick had the serum they would be hunted worse than before. That was why they were staying in Hong Kong for now, in a tiny flat in Mong Kok, the most densely populated place on earth. Until she had a vision or someone found them or until her mother managed to let another breadcrump of her plan find its way to Cassie. She was sure that her mum had a plan.

That first night when it had looked like she and Nick had won they had both fallen asleep so easily, exhausted and triumphant and had slept until the middle of the next day. Now though Cassie had trouble falling asleep, too scared she might sleep through a vision that would be important. 

As for Nick...Cassie glanced over to the other bed. The flat was so small she could’ve easily reached out and touched him without getting up. Had he always had nightmares? She didn’t know. Despite feeling like she had known Nick for her entire life she actually knew very little about him. A few facts, a bit of gossip, not a whole lot. 

Nick didn’t talk much about himself, about his past and that suited Cassie just fine. He didn’t ask questions either. He’d make fun of her hair or her leopard print bag but he wouldn’t ask how long she had been on her own or if she remembered what her mother looked like.

Cassie didn’t mind because even if she didn’t know Nick’s birthday or his favourite movie, she knew him as a person. They had barely known each other and yet he had used his powers to protect her from the Bleeders.

Tired as she was Cassie got up from her bed and reached out. She’d protect him, too.

/

For a moment Nick didn’t realize what had woken him up or where he was. For a moment he thought that everything had been a nightmare and that he was back in his shabby apartment in Wan Chai, hiding from Division on neutral territory.

“You’re okay?” Cassie asked from the other bed. This place wasn’t much better than his old flat but at least he wasn’t alone anymore. That counted for something.

Nick rubbed a hand over his face to get rid of the tiredness. “I’m fine. Did you have a vision?”

Cassie shook her head. “You were having a nightmare.”

“Yeah, it’s called my life”, Nick said before he could help himself. Usually he wasn’t one for self pity.

“Did you dream about Kira?” Cassie asked and before Nick could answer, she added, “She’s alive, you know.”

“You saw her?” Nick asked. It had been pretty obvious that Cassie hadn’t like Kira. And he was pretty sure that Kira hadn’t like Cassie either.

“She’s alive”, Cassie repeated. “That’s all I know.”

Nick knew how frustrated Cassie was that she hadn’t had another vision yet or at least not a useful one. During that one short trip to Macao she had proven useful enough that they could keep living like this for a while.

“I’m sorry”, Cassie said and Nick was once more reminded of how young she really was. 

“Not even remotely your fault.” Nick sat up. If he had to have this conversation he wanted to be at an equal level with Cassie instead of having her stare down at him. Of course Nick wasn’t used to the tight dimensions of their new flat yet and promptly hit his head.

“Sorry”, Cassie said and it was absurd enough to make Nick snort.

“Also not your fault.”

“You’re right, I just…I’m sorry I woke you up.” Cassie looked like she was about to leave but Nick caught her wrist.

“Hey, you did the right thing. I’d rather be awake than dream about getting pushed by Carver.”

“He’s dead”, Cassie said slowly as if she was trying to remember a vision. Just pictures, flashes of possible futures that was how she had explained it. “Or maybe he’s going to die, I don’t know.”

“That’s good for us”, Nick said, tugging on her arm until Cassie sat down on the edge of his bed. She looked small, he thought, and a little bit lost.

“What are we doing here, Nick?” It sounded more like she was asking this herself than him.

“Waiting for a sign?” He kept his tone light. “Your mum is pretty crafty I wouldn’t be surprised if she sent us a carrier pigeon with instructions.”

The corners of Cassie’s mouth wavered slightly upwards. It wasn’t a smile but it was better than nothing. 

“Hey”, Nick said, resting his hand on her shoulder. “We’ve made it this far, a little bit of waiting won’t kill you. I waited ten years for you.”

Cassie turned her head, frowning. “What?”

“It was one of the last things my dad told me: One day a girl is going to give you a flower”, Nick explained. “Guess who that girl was.”

“I was the only girl to give you a flower in the last ten years?” Cassie couldn’t have sounded more skeptical if she had tried.

Nick grinned and shrugged because it was true. At least the topic had gotten Cassie out of her gloomy thoughts.

“Kira was a crappy girlfriend”, Cassie said, sounding a little too satisfied with that.

“Oh so you’re a relationship expert now, too huh?” Nick teased her.

“Better than Miss Make-Believe apparently”, Cassie replied and there it was again, that light in her eyes, the straightness of her shoulders. “Did you get her flowers?”

“I think so?”

“She was crappy.”

Nick laughed a little. “Feeling better?”

Cassie held his eyes as she said, “Do you?”

It took him a moment but then he said, “Yeah, I am.” His life had been a lot crazier since he had met Cassie but he wasn’t alone and unlike Kira he could trust Cassie. Nick scooted to the side a little and tilted his head, “Come on.”

Cassie hesitated at first but then she laid down next to him rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beat, slow and steady and it quickly lulled her to sleep. 

Nick watched her for a few minutes longer but he was tired too and the weight of her body against his grounded him in reality, keeping the nightmares away.

**Author's Note:**

> This author is a firm believer in equal opportunity flower gifting.


End file.
